"ROOT BEER" (tea)

Well, I made up my first batch of root beer according to an old recipe found online. This is really a tea as I did not use yeast as in original recipe. I'll do that next time... :) I also used sassafras root rather than oil, and I used no spruce oil. I used molasses to sweeten. I think that next time, I'll add ginger. The taste was quite bitter yesterday. It reminded me of Chinese herbs I was prescribed years ago, for eczema. According to the info below, that could be the burdock...? The taste has mellowed today...These tonics were traditionally used as "alternatives", which, according to "The Herbalist" by Joseph Meyer, c.1918, "Agents which tend to gradually alter a condition". Hmmm...

If anyone has any info on the synergystic properties of this combination of herbs, I'd love to hear it! From what I understand, it's an excellent digestive tonic and I'm not likely to get fleas!

First impression? I've got a buzz! Maybe that's the molasses...

Info on herbs...lifted from http://www.mountainroseherbs.com

HOPS

Hops are sedating, but the chemicals responsible for this effect (humulone and lupulone) are strongest after an aging process of about 6 months to 2 years, which is the time required for them to form their sedative chemicals. Fresh hops provide bitters that stimulate digestion; these bitters are also found in the aged herb. In folk medicine, washes made with hops and waters are often used to treat sores and skin injuries. Hops teas are also used to relieve the pain of bladder infections. The hops used in beer are used "fresher," so drinking beer does not have the same effect as taking hops as an herb.
The German food chemist Udo Pollmer notes that soaking red or white meats in beer, before grilling, reduces the formation of cancer-causing HCA's (heterocyclic amines), and actually prevents the formation of these compounds, although "lite" or alcohol-free beers do not have this effect. Another way to avoid the HCA's, of course, is to serve vegan entrees

BURDOCK

There is considerable evidence in the scientific literature that burdock root tea is a powerful anti-inflammatory remedy. Its numerous antioxidants protect the liver from toxic chemicals, allowing it to process the body's naturally occurring steroids which is helpful in achieving hormonal balance. A mildly bitter herb, it stimulates the release of gastric juices and aids digestion. This combination of qualities explains its traditional use in treating acne, eczema, endometriosis, psoriasis, and uterine fibroids. The tea can also be used as a wash to treat skin infections, eczema, and psoriasis

YELLOW DOCK

Yellow dock is the kinder, gentler alternative to laxatives made with buckthorn, cascara sagrada, frangula, rhubarb, or senna. It encourages both bowel movement and good digestion by stimulating the release of gastric juices

SARSAPARILLA

Modern Science suggests that some of the constituents in sarsaparilla may indeed be useful in medicine, particularly to treat skin conditions and general malaise. In the 1950s, scientists documented the Antibiotic properties of sarsaparilla preparations, pointing to its ability to attack microbial contamination in the bloodstream. Its diuretic and detoxification actions have been documented, as has its beneficial effects on both digestion and skin conditions

DANDELION

Dandelion root is a mild chloretic, that is, an agent for stimulating the release of bile from the liver into the gallbladder. The herb is used to support treatment of a variety of liver and gallbladder disorders, especially the incomplete digestion of fats. The release of bile is laxative, and accelerates the breakdown of various steroid hormones, causing an indirect, favorable effect on eczema and other skin conditions.
Dandelion root also is one of the best herbal diuretics. It stimulates urination but also replaces the potassium lost to the increased volume of urine

SPIKENARD

Spikenard root belongs to the same family as the ginseng root and is prized for many of the same reasons. Native to the Eastern United States, the root has long been used medicinally by Native American tribes. It has a complex spicy, earthy aroma which is said to repel fleas, thus giving it the name fleabane, among others, but it has also been used as a poultice to treat broken bones and deep bruising.
It has also been used to treat rheumatism, syphilis, coughs and cold symptoms, and shortness of breath. In the Appalachians, spikenard root tea is a traditional treatment for backache. It has a mild, pleasant licorice like flavor, and has been often used as a substitute for sarsaparilla.

SASSAFRAS

The traditional use of sassafras tea in herbal medicine is to help the immune system recover from a bout with poison oak or sumac, especially when the leaf has been chewed and peri-anal inflammation has resulted. Sassafras tea is also used to induce sweating to break a fever, and in douches to relieve inflammation caused by urinary tract infection in women. The essential oil is applied to the scalp to treat lice.

Here's a link to the original recipe:

//www.curezone.org/forums/fm.asp?i=761479#i
Tweet